Jamaicans defend anything

All my life I have been told that mankind is the most intelligent of life forms. They say that of all animals on this planet, we have best demonstrated the ability of the mind to come to correct conclusions about what is true or real and about how to solve problems.

I am beginning to have a bit of trouble with that assertion because every day, I am faced with mounting evidence that our understanding of what defines intelligence is far removed from reality.

Over in the United States, we see those on the far right constantly trying to deny global warming, and the poorest among them continue to believe in trickle-down economics that keeps them dirt poor while making those whose opinions they abide by richer every day. Here in Jamaica, we hear people on either side of the political fence continuing to define right and wrong by whatever slant their party takes, ignoring the blatantly obvious.

In recent times, I have heard people continue to defend former Minister of Health Fenton Ferguson over his handling of the death of 19 babies because of a bacterial outbreak on the island. Supposedly intelligent people were positing that the minister should not be held responsible because of this and because of that and perhaps because he didn't put the bacteria in the neo-natal wards at the affected hospitals, completely ignoring the fact that had he held someone accountable, maybe he would still have his job today.

I even hear people claiming that Ferguson was one of the best and among the hardest- working ministers. It's like their loyalty to the ruling party completely immobilises those areas of the brain that generate logical thinking.

BOTH THE SAME

And by the way, before some lame brain - due to their lack of activity in those critical centres of the brain - believes I am picking on the ruling party and its supporters, the opposition and its supporters are the same.

In all of the dumb defences we have heard, no one, it seems, is remembering, or has remembered, that all of these 19 babies died as a result of ineptitude. However, to some, the politics takes precedence over those very precious lives.

So now, an election looms, and as the

political rhetoric continues to intensify, expect to hear more nonsense from both sides of the fence. We have already heard that should they retain power, the government will provide 100,000 jobs. This, despite the fact that I don't think they have created half as many jobs in the past four years. That, plus the fact that business confidence is down and international economic experts see another worldwide recession on the horizon.

Expect, too, to hear the JLP make grand claims about what miracles they will deliver should they unseat the ruling party. They will tell you that they will make us all rich and our lives will suddenly become better just because they are in power.

waste of time

Both parties have agreed to debates, which I can guarantee you will be a grand waste of time because all you will hear is more party rhetoric.

All that rhetoric, however, is pointless because no matter what is said, whether it makes sense or not, the majority of those who are voting have already made up their minds who they are voting for. It doesn't matter if their party is going to drive us all to hell in a hand basket, they will not waver. No matter what the available information says, they will blindly vote for 'their party', and that I believe is not a particularly intelligent way to go about things.

Others, like me, who try to make sense of all the nonsense, will decide somewhere down the line who to vote for or whether to vote at all.

A recent letter writer to the newspapers put it best when he said it has come down to not casting a vote or deciding whether to choose between a rock and a very hard place. It will take all our available intellect to make that decision.

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